10/15/2016

Lamp Shade Loves, Fall Foliage and Where the Heck did Summer go- a good life, simplish!

Summer really did fly by! Didn't it? Today is slightly past peak foliage but here I sit on my porch scribbling away---Anything to be outside today! Those last warm days are ones I hold onto as we roll into winter. My little shop garden put out lots of beauty this summer. It's sending out some little bonus flowers of fall. Not sure what it's called but a climbing Canterbury Bell has been a surprise of interest. I pulled the nasturtiums out yesterday before the big frost! Our village continues to be in the doldrums. It was pretty hard to wrap my head around being here in our little village without the restaurant next door and the general store. Somehow I focused on what I needed to do for ME and my business and kicked butt! I was concerned how I would survive out here without the restaurant and general store open- a little lonely to say the least!!! I honestly don't get much business from either of them but love to see the village bustling and busy. And that big ole ADD loves distractions from work.....:) It was fun to have the Pawlet Potter here a few hours each day! Thanks Marion Waldo McChesney; it was like the old days!! Sooner or later they will both be open, no doubt! The summer was super busy and lots of custom orders and Etsy orders, too. Fall is coming to a quick end but I have lots of cool stuff to look forward to with my business. I had a fantastic photo shoot in May with the talented photographer Matthew Mead. You may know Matthew's work from the past days of Country Home Magazine as well as his many books and other magazines. Matthew has a new magazine coming out in December called Upstyled Home from Country Sampler. We had such a blast together and as I said, the time went by too fast!

I have admired Matthew's style and wonderful eye ever since my early days of making lampshades. I have a big old stack of old Country Home magazines in my back room and the look he created is as fresh today as it was so many years ago. I am thrilled to be in the first issue of his magazine; it comes out Dec. 4th and will be on the news stands and book stores. I think it will be a huge success! He came back a few weeks ago to use my porch as a back drop for another shoot for the spring issue. Wow--- he worked wonders on my cute little porch where I am sitting right now. It's a bit shabbier than chic!!!

What's new in my lampshade world? Still lots of embroidery shades, grain sack shades, pretty French Vintage Fabrics and a few bright shades to cheer up the house for fall! Here's a peek at my new inventory:

pretty vintage French floral shadeJust grabbed this pretty shot at the bottom of my road on the way home this week. I haven't had too much time to drive around to see the pretty leaves, but then just the 2 miles from my shop to my house is pretty darn beautiful! Hope you got to leaf peek yourself! And keep an eye out for Matthew's new magazine, Upstyled Home. I look forward to seeing it myself.